Fact:Many recording studios do NOT specialize in mixing, in effect they do NOT posses the proper mixing environment, mixing gear, or monitoring signal path, do NOT be fooled by recording studios that offer attractively low prices for mixing, most of these recording studios are inexperienced and do NOT have skilled certified audio engineers.

What is Mixing?Mixing is the second step in the recording process. Mixing is where all the individual tracks are combined and blended to create a stereo mix. During the mixing process audio is edited, effects are added, and sound levels are corrected. Mixing allows the engineer to remove unwanted noise, and delete, copy, or move recorded audio to other places on the track. Mixing is extremely important because it brings harmony and balance to the entire track.

Make sure you allow enough time in your budget to do a good job -- at least 30 minutes per song just for mixing depending on the complexity and length of each project. Ask the engineer questions about what he's doing so you can communicate what you want. Don't be afraid to assert yourself. If you want something done, you have to make it happen. Don't step on toes, but at the same time, it is your record, not the engineer's record.

You or the producer really have to assert your ideas, but the engineer is the person who is actually going to make it happen. He or she has good ideas. A good cooperative way to mix your songs is to let the engineer set up a rough mix that he thinks sounds good, and then let everyone comment on that.

If you have liked the work the engineer has done before, don't even say anything when you're listening to the playback. In fact, you might not even want to be there during the mixing. Just tell the engineer what you want and maybe he can do three different mixes.

Leaving the mixing entirely up to an engineer you like contains some real wisdom: "A lot of times you'll be in the studio with a band doesn't know anything about it, and they'll be putting their hands all over the board, and saying 'I think this sounds really good.' Then afterwards they are really unhappy with the Cd." Do not let this happen to you.

An audio mixing console, or mixing desk, or mixing board, has numerous rotating controls and sliding controls faders that are used to manipulate the volume, the addition of effects such as reverb, and frequency content (equalization) of audio signals. On most consoles, all the controls that apply to a single channel of audio are arranged in a vertical column called a channel strip. Larger and more complex consoles such as those used in film and television production can contain hundreds of channel strips. Many consoles today, regardless of cost, have automation capabilities so the movement of their controls can be recorded, and then played back automatically. A recent trend isto use a "control surface" connected to a computer. This eliminates much of the electronics in a conventional console as the actual automation work is done digitally by the computer.

So what's it going to sound like?When a song is mixed, everything sounds balanced. The sound levels from each individual track are digitally controlled to ensure that no sound louder or lower than what it needs to be. Naturally there is only so much one can do in a mixing session, but as long as tracks aren't digitally clipping and everything has been edited and arranged to its right intentions, the mix engineer will be able to bring it to the next level.

At Phantom City Studio we use Pro Tools along with Digital and Analog industry standard professional recording studio equipment to create a perfectly balanced mix. We can filter out background hum, white noise and unwanted breaths.

Your mix will sound perfectly balanced and ready to be mastered professionally by Phantom City Studio.

What happens during a mixing session?During your mixing session, once the tracks are converted and uploaded into pro tools, the engineer will be able to take note of any reference material you have, and begin working on eq, panning, compression and overall leveling. Additional effects and production ideas can be added, however enough time must be given in order to do this.

How Long Does it Take?Although there is no limit to the time or money that can be spent on mixing, a good rule of thumb would be an average of at least one hour for each song. Can it be done in less time? Yes, but the more time the engineer has to mix a song, the better the mix will sound. Remember that mixing is the final step right before mastering.

Master MixA master mix is not the same as getting a song mastered. A master mix means getting a "mix" to sound as loud as mastered version without distortion. Believe it or not, many people cannot tell the difference between a master mix and a song that has been professionally mastered.

The master mix is included during your recording session FREE of charge! Be sure to ask your audio engineer to include it during the mixing process.

ExperiencePhantom City Studio Recording Studios in Orlando, Florida has over 15 years of experience in audio mixing and mastering. We use Pro Tools systems with complete access to just about every pluginavailable. Pro Tools provides Phantom City Studio engineers the editing capabilities to sculpt sound digitally in a way that analog never provided. Not only are there dozens of powerful new digital audio tools that analog never provided, but the precision with which you can manipulate audio is unrivaled. Perhaps Digital's best quality is its instant recall capability. We can mix a song today, come back to that project over the course of months, and it sounds exactly like it was left. Analog never did that. This feature makes revising mixes simple, fast, and predictable. If a client wants to add changes to a mix, it's easy for Phantom City Studio to quickly pull up the mix and make the changes.

Thank you for choosing Phantom City Studio Recording Studios in Orlando, Florida